The Co-op has extended its Space to Thrive higher-welfare chicken range into breaded and ready-to-eat chicken.
Space to Thrive, which originally launched as a fresh range in February – ten months ahead of schedule – uses meat sourced form birds reared to a stocking density of 30kg/m2 – some 20% lower than the industry standard.
Chicken sourced for the brand also come from naturally-lit barns and have access to pecking objects and platforms for perching “to enable more natural behaviours and a healthier life”, the retailer said.
Co-op has now added a further 21 British lines to the range, including Breaded Chicken Goujons, Garlic Kiev, Roast Chicken Drumstick and Sliced Chicken Breast. It means all breaded chicken lines are sourced to the higher standard, alongside all of its fresh chicken and 11 ready-to-eat lines.
All Co-op chicken exceeds Red Tractor standards, with RSPCA Assured Free Range chicken also available in store. However, the retailer has not signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, which mandates further welfare improvements such as slower-growing breeds.
Onf the UK’s main supermarkets, only M&S currently adheres to the BCC, while Waitrose is due to switch all its chicken to the standard in 2026.
“We take animal welfare seriously and listen to our member owners, which is why we took action earlier this year and continued to significantly invest in our poultry supply chain to offer shoppers high-quality products at the same great value,” said Co-op commercial director Sinead Bell.
“Today’s announcement underlines our unwavering commitment to this, and we are proud to be amongst the few retailers to extend the new lower stocking density to beyond fresh chicken,” she added.
“Responsible sourcing matters to us, our members and customers and we’re proud to support British farmers by sourcing 100% of our fresh meat and shell eggs from trusted farms from across Britain.”
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